REVIEW: David Bazan Band @ Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene, OR – 12/14/11)

If anything is certain in life, the move from the Midwest to the West Coast has been good for my David Bazan tour in-take. Being only a short hike from his homebase in Seattle, we get the treat of the former Pedro the Lion frontman in our neck of the woods several times a year.

Many times, he trots out on his own… which is usually more intimate. But the chance to see Bazan with a backing band shouldn’t be passed up. He’s really able to let the rock come forth in his songs. His doubtful, questioning, reflective lyricism work just as well behind a dirty, loud guitar as it does with just him and a guitar in a living room.

Last night at Sam Bond’s, after delightful indie-rock quartet opener Shay Roselip’s short set, Bazan came on to do what I thought was just sound check. Nope… boom goes the dynamite, his mighty three-piece kicked into a tune from Pedro the Lion’s Control… “Second Best.”

Setlist: ~85 mins

Second Best [Pedro the Lion]

Wolves at the Door

Bless This Mess

How I Remember

I Do [PTL]

Of Up and Coming Monarchs [PTL]

Q&A #1

Gas and Matches [Headphones]

Eating Paper

Magazine [PTL]

Climb That Hill [Tom Petty]

Bearing Witness

Q&A #2

Virginia

People

Cold Beer and Cigarettes

Big Trucks [PTL]

Criticism as Inspiration [PTL]

Q&A #3 with lifetime pass drawing

Strange NegotiationsNo encore

The setlist was similar to other shows on this tour… a great mix of Pedro the Lion tunes, a Headphones tune, a Tom Petty cover and a lot from his two solo albums & EP. Strange Negotiations, this years effort, will definitely be somewhere on my Best of 2011 list (still formulating).

Being the last stop of the 40+ date tour across the country, his voice showed some wear – especially on the “right on” part of “Cold Beer and Cigarettes.” He powered through it, dropping the notes to a more suitable weary-throat range. His band, made up of Alex Westcoat on drums and Andy Fitts on bass, blistered away with David. Despite the aforementioned vocal strain, their musical chops were evident last night.

They were driving through the night to make it home to Seattle by sun-up. If you missed them on this tour, David hinted at a new album being done by March 1st, with it coming out sometime in 2012. So the chance of more tours in 2012? High possibility!

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